Veggie Black Bean Burgers with Green Tea Basil Aioli

I drink more tea than water. Okay, technically, most of what I drink isn’t truly “tea” – I’m an herbal fan, as I’ve never tolerated caffeine very well – but green and white teas are often a part of my morning wake-up call. Yet, even with the many mugs I down a day, I don’t think I’ve ever cooked with any of these brewed hot beverages. That faux pas is finally coming to an end thanks to this wonderful recipe for black bean burgers and its source: the new cookbook Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea, by my friend Annelies.

To be clear, Steeped is a vegetarian cookbook, but aside from that, it isn’t specific to any type of special diet. There are recipes with flour, eggs, and yes, even dairy, but it’s still a gem, in my opinion, for any tea lover or person interested in a little culinary adventure.

With its old-fashioned hard back look and embossed gold accents, Steepedis a wonderful throwback to the simple pleasures of afternoon tea, but the recipes are delightfully modern and innovative.

For my dairy-free and dairy-low gang, a little less than half of the recipes in Steepedare naturally dairy-free (about the same for gluten-free), and a handful are very easy to adapt with a quick ingredient swap. The rest are best for those who have moderate to advanced skills in altering recipes to be dairy-free and/or would simply love some tea cooking and baking inspiration. Personally, the Swedish Mushroom “Meatballs” and Mini Chai Cherry Pies are on my “must modify and make” list!

But lets start off with one of those naturally dairy-free recipes for a sneak preview inside Steeped, shall we? The aforementioned Veggie Black Bean Burgers with Homemade Green Tea Infused Aioli follows …

Photo credit: Stephanie Shih

Special Diet Notes: Veggie Black Bean Burgers

Can this Recipe by Vegan? I think it can. To make the black bean burgers egg-free, I would use a hearty substitute like Neat Egg, or swap in mashed avocado or tomato paste thinned lightly with a little liquid (tea perhaps?!) – about 1/3 to 1/2 cup total, to get the right consistency. The burgers will be a little softer. Another option that isn’t soy-free is pureed silken tofu. For the aioli, skip the egg yolks, oil and Dijon, and use vegan mayonnaise instead. You’ll want to adjust all ingredients to taste – this may take a bit of experimenting!

Toasted pecans are the key to these black bean beauties, along with the matcha in the piquant aïoli. Serve as you like (perhaps in a lettuce wrap?). I put them on whole wheat buns smeared with aïoli and dressed with lettuce and tomato.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place a 2-quart fry pan over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Swirl in the oil to coat. Sauté the carrot, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and salt for about 8 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Turn off the heat.

Drain both cans of beans. Pour one can into a large bowl. Pour the other into a food processor with the pecans and cooked vegetables and pulse to a coarse paste.